2019 Michigan Economic Outlook with Jeff Mason, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Kevin Johnson, President & CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation held at the Motor City Casino in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.

The heads of the largest economic development agencies in the state say Michigan momentum will continue in 2019.

Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club at the MotorCity Casino and Hotel Tuesday, Michigan Economic Development Corp. CEO Jeff Mason and Detroit Economic Development Corp. CEO Kevin Johnson reassured the largely business audience they don't anticipate any major shakeups in the state economy, whether it's from the national or local political stage.

"Whether it's at the national or the state level, companies look for certainty," Mason said in a panel discussion with Detroit News columnist Daniel Howes at the event. "There's some uncertainty out there ... that create some angst. Everyone has felt comfortable over the last eight years (during former Gov. Rick Snyder's administration) and I'm pretty confident one week into office Gov. (Gretchen) Whitmer believes Michigan is headed in the right direction."

Johnson sees Whitmer as an ally for Detroit.

"We have no indication that this administration is going to disrupt the flow of momentum in Detroit," he said. "I'm very optimistic of what the governor's economic development opportunities for Detroit are going to be."

Mason said the cross-aisle fighting that has often plagued Lansing is receding, which should create stronger economic policy in the state.

"I think we've gotten past partisanship in Lansing," he said. "The House, Senate and the new administration are talking about solutions to education and infrastructure. That makes me optimistic."

The way economic development happens in the state also isn't expected to change in 2019. The state and the city of Detroit got a big win in Ford Motor Co. acquiring Michigan Central Station in Corktown. Ford plans to spend $740 million in redeveloping the station and the surrounding area into its mobility campus. That investment will be offset by $239 million in state and local tax incentives.

"Here's the reality: There's a cost to do business in any city in any state," Johnson said. "In the space we occupy, we have to utilize the tools that are available to us to activate the opportunities we seek. Incentives don't make a bad deal good, but it makes a good deal better. Look at the Michigan Central Station. We're not gaining any tax revenue from it now. That's where the opportunity was."

Mason said that while incentives get the most ink in newspapers and talk around offices, they are still only a small part of what economic development agencies do.

"We don't lead with incentives," he said. "Incentives are the piece that gets the most visibility, but very few of the projects we work on require incentives. We help small companies grow their exports business, connect small companies to big companies, etc."

Attracting talent remains a critical aspect in aiding businesses, Mason said in response to a question about immigration and the skills gap.

"We need more talent and there's three ways to get it," Mason said. "Eighteen years from now with that baby that is born. Grow it from within by training. The third is to attract more talent from around the country or people from other countries. Historically, we've been a state that has done that. We need a welcoming policy and Gov. Whitmer is dedicated to that cause."

Johnson added, "The whole city was built on immigration, so I'm not sure why we're even talking about this. I believe in thoughtful immigration, though I don't know how thoughtful it was in the early 1900s when people that looked like me took buses from the South. That wasn't thoughtful. If you were a warm body with a willingness to work, you could make a difference in this city. That's true today."